Thank you for all the wonderful reviews, favorites, and follows! I'm glad you're all enjoying the story. I'm trying to update at least once a day because I'm out of Uni for the summer, but yesterday I went out with some friends so I didn't have time. I hope you all understand.

I'd like to give a HUGE shout out to XxXLost-In-The-CrowdXxX and their story Care For Me, Care For Me Not! It's a great story, so you guys should check it out! I also got an idea for this story from that one, so I want to make sure they get the credit they deserve.

Also, you should look up the songs mentioned in this chapter because it's easier to picture the scenes if you know what the songs sound like. The lyrics to "Dirty Talk" and "Woo Hoo" are also something you need to keep in mind. But DEFINITELY look up "What the Hell" by Avril Lavigne because that song has a BIG part in here and you won't get it if you don't. Without further delay, here's the next chapter!

To say that what Dimitri had just told me confused the hell out of me was an understatement. I didn't say anything as I pulled my hand out of his grasp and put it back in my lap. I thought about asking him what he meant, but, honestly, I was tired. It seemed like everything was going wrong, no matter what I did. So, instead of voicing my thoughts, I turned to Dimitri expectantly.

He must have known that I wanted him to explain because he continued. "I don't think I'm all of the reason you're seeing Mason, but I'm playing a part of it. Can I ask…? How often do the two of you talk about us?"

I thought on that. "Uh, almost every time I see him. But I don't understand. What does it matter if we talk about you and me? I am just talking to a figment of my imagination, right?"

"Yes…and no. Mason is being manifested by your mind, but you talk about things that –"

"Oh no." I whispered, shaking my head. "You think because I talk to Mason about us that I have…conflicted feelings or whatever about us?"

He stared at me, eyes widening for only a second before he regained his composure. "Well, yes. You figuring it out like that just proves it to me."

I shook my head, grabbing my stuff and opening the door. "Look, I'm sorry, but I'm not going to have this conversation with you. I don't feel bad or guilty or anything for dating you. I love you, Dimitri." His eyes brightened a little when I said that. "If there was one thing that was going right in my life, it was you. So I'm just going to get out now and let you think about things.

"Honestly, I'm tired. It's been one bad thing after another since Mason's death. I don't need this on top of everything else. I want to be with you. If you really don't want to be with me, I understand. But don't give me some excuse. Don't tell me you can't be with me because of me."

I got out of the car and bent down to look back in, plastering on a smile so my parents and neighbors wouldn't notice anything was wrong if they noticed us. "Take some time to think about things, about what you really want. But know this: I won't wait around forever. I love you and I want to be with you, but I won't be led on. Call me when you've made your decision. Or don't. It's up to you."

I shut the car door and turned around, walking up to my doorstep. When I turned around, he was still parked in the same spot, looking at me. I gave a small wave and went inside, feeling like I'd either just made the best or worst decision of my life. I couldn't tell which yet.

[BREAK]

The rest of the week passed by uneventfully. Seriously, nothing happened. Dimitri went out of town, but I didn't know why, so we didn't have any sessions or after-school classes. He didn't call or text and I was worried that he'd decided he didn't want to be with me. Every time I thought about it, though, I'd stop myself.

I was going to stand by my decision. I didn't want to play games anymore. Either he loved me or he didn't. Yes, being in a relationship with him would be hard – not only because of our age difference, but also because he was my counselor – but I felt like if we really loved each other, we could make it work.

That didn't mean that I didn't second-guess myself, though. Had I really had a right to demand things of him after what I did? After I slapped him? If I didn't, it was too late. I was scared of what Dimitri might tell me when he got back, but I comforted myself with the thought that – even if he didn't want to be with me – I'd finally have my answer and could move on with my life.

It really wasn't fair, though, that the week Dimitri wasn't here was the same week Lissa wasn't. She'd gone on a school trip to Carroll College in Helena. It was a private college that only accepted the best. I had good grades and could probably get in, but I didn't want to go to Carroll – it was too close to home. So I'd sent my applications to Rocky Mountain College in Billings and University of Great Falls in Great Falls. Both were in Montana, but they were two hours away from home. I felt like that'd give me enough space without being too far away from my friends and family.

Lissa had applied to both schools as well, but she'd also been accepted to Carroll. There were ten students from my school who had been accepted there, so they all went to view the campus and see what college life was like there for a week. From what Lissa had told me over the phone, they spent their days like actual college students. Each one of them got their own student to guide them around campus. Lissa got some guy who was apparently a lot of fun because he kept skipping classes to take her to parties.

I was happy that she got to go out and have some fun, but Christian definitely wasn't. He'd gone with her on the trip and had been texting Eddie the whole time they were gone about how much he didn't like the guy who was showing Lissa around. He thought he was flirting with Lissa, but when I brought it up to her, she denied it. "He's just friendly," is what she would say.

We hadn't been able to talk much because she was so busy, but she'd told me about some of the parties and classes she went to. It seemed like every time I managed to get her on the phone, something – or someone – got her attention and she had to go. But, luckily, it was Friday and she would be home that evening.

Eddie and Mia had gone with Eddie's parents to visit his grandparents for the weekend. Those two were getting serious and I was happy for them. When they invited me to tag along, I turned them down, not wanting to be a third wheel. We'd all been to Georgia and Pete's house before – they were wonderful people – but without Lissa and Christian, I'd feel weird.

So, instead, I stayed at home, the way my parents liked it. Lissa wouldn't be home until late, so I had to wait until tomorrow morning to see her. I caught up on the rest of my homework and then curled up in bed, watching all the shows I'd recorded and hadn't gotten to watch yet. My parents and I finally got to have that family dinner my mom wanted, but it wasn't anything special…until my mom brought up Dimitri.

"Do you know when Dimitri will be back and when you'll start your classes back up again?" she asked, waving a napkin around in the old man's face. He had barbecue sauce on the tip of his nose, but I didn't know how it got there.

I shrugged, biting into my corn-on-the-cob to buy myself time. "I'm not sure. He didn't tell me when he'd be back."

She smiled. "I hope he gets back soon. I really like him. He's been helping you through so much and he's very respectful. I think I'll invite him to dinner again."

I stopped chewing, thinking of something to say. I couldn't let her invite Dimitri to dinner; it would be unbearable. But I couldn't just blurt out that out without giving her an excuse. I sat there silently, nothing coming to mind, but thankfully my parents didn't notice my reaction.

"Hey, now," my dad said, looking up from his plate. "Should I be worried?"

My mom laughed. "Of course not!" She and my dad had this game they liked to play, but I hated listening to it. Every time one of them would bring up the opposite sex, the other would tease them about it, asking if they needed to be worried that the other would leave them for whoever they were talking about. "He's almost half my age. Rose has a better chance of dating him than I do."

I nearly spit out the tea I had in my mouth. I began coughing and sputtering, my parents giving me funny looks. I gained control of myself long enough to drink the tea and take a deep breath. "Don't be silly," I croaked. "As if that would ever happen."

Ah, how I loved the Sarcastic Truth card. It made it hard for people to tell I was lying. But my parents were still giving me funny looks. Luckily, I was saved my phone going off. "It's Lissa!" I told them, before running off upstairs, ignoring their protests. "Hey, Liss." I said into the phone.

"Hey, I got home sooner than I thought. You wanna hang out?" she asked.

I shook my head before realizing she couldn't see me. "I can't. The parental units have me on lock-down tonight. But we can hang out tomorrow?"

"Definitely," she said. I could hear a smile in her voice. "I actually have something planned for tomorrow night, but you can't say anything to your parents. Just tell them you're sleeping over at my house. My dad's out on business, but Andre is still here."

"What are we doing?"

"You'll see."

[BREAK]

"I brought my stuff," I told Lissa, setting my heavy bag down on her bed. "I have everything you told me to bring."

I'd told my parents exactly what she told me to tell them, that I was sleeping over here. They were still nervous about letting me out, but they figured I'd be safe with Andre there. We were going to let them believe that Lissa's dad was going to be there, too, but they'd surprised us by calling him. When I begged them to still let me go, they agreed, but on the condition that I not leave the house. Yeah, right.

"Excellent!" She clapped and strode over to her bed, opening my bag and looking through it. "Now, we need to get ready. Christian, Eddie, and Mia are already on their way over. And our ride will be here soon."

"Our ride?" I asked, bewildered. "Where are we going? Who's taking us?"

My heart began to race as my mind began thinking of all the things that could be happening right now. Of course, the first conclusion I'd come to was Dimitri. Had she talked to him and gotten him to change his mind about us? But, no, if the rest of our friends were coming out with us, that couldn't be it.

She pulled out my straightener and hair curler. "We're going to a club with Adrian."

I frowned. "Who's Adrian?"

"The guy who showed me around campus all week. He's so much fun…and cute. You'll see when he gets here. Anyway, he has the aunt who owns all these different companies, including a line of clubs. Since he's her favorite nephew, he pulled some strings and got us on the list for one in Helena! We're going to have so much fun!"

"I don't know, Liss." I told her, sitting down on the bed. "I've been doing a lot of thinking and what if the people who attacked me have been following me? How else would they have known about me being in the theater?"

She stopped taking things out of my bag and turned to me. "You have a point, but…they won't follow you all the way out to Helena. Besides, this club is really exclusive, not just anyone can get in. They won't be able to touch you with all the security, even if they do follow."

Lissa began going through my bag again as I thought. I wanted to be safe, but I also wanted to have some fun. I desperately needed fun. The more I thought about it, the more I thought it couldn't hurt. Lissa had a point, they couldn't get to me if they tried. And I couldn't spend my entire life holed up because I was scared.

Thirty minutes later, I stared at my reflection, pleased. I was wearing a tight red dress that went halfway down my thighs. It had a halter top and showed off every one of my curves. I wore red pumps with it and had curled my hair, leaving it looking shorter than it actually was, stopping at mid-back. My makeup had done a good job of covering up what was left of my bruise – a light yellow color now. Lissa had patted me down with a glitter duster, making me sparkle all over.

"You look great." Lissa said, coming back into her room. She'd straightened her hair and was wearing a loose, light blue dress that was about the same length as mine. She wore flats instead of heels, the same color as her dress. She'd gone downstairs to welcome Christian, Mia, and Eddie inside. "Now, come on! Adrian is downstairs and I really want you to meet him."

Some part of me thought she was trying a little too hard to meet this Adrian fellow. I brushed that thought away, though, knowing that there was only one person I wanted to be with. He, unfortunately, was not here.

As I walked down the stairs with Lissa, I spotted him in front of the front door. He'd been talking to Eddie, gesturing grandly, when he noticed us coming their way. He stopped and looked up at me, our eyes meeting.

Lissa was right, he was cute. He had shaggy brown hair that looked messy even though you could tell he'd styled it. His eyes were such a deep emerald color that I was enchanted by their beauty even from across the room. He was wearing dark blue jeans that looked raggedy but new at the same time and a dark brown shirt with horizontal blue lines.

As I stared at him, he smiled, and I realized why Lissa would want to set us up. His smile brightened everything around him. I wondered what I may have thought about him before I'd met Dimitri, but quickly decided it wasn't worth thinking about. I'd never know that answer. Suddenly, Adrian winked, jolting me out of my daze.

"Rose, this is Adrian," Lissa said, gesturing to him when we got down the stairs. "Adrian, this is Rose."

Adrian took my hand, bowing as he did and kissing it. "It's a pleasure to meet you."

I laughed, taking my hand back. "Charming. I like that."

"There's more where that came from." He stood back up, smiling.

Lissa, Eddie, and Mia laughed while Christian scowled. Lissa told me earlier that Christian hadn't wanted us to go out with him, probably because he was worried Adrian would try to put the moves on her. "Well, if everyone's ready to go…?" Christian sighed.

We all nodded, turning to Lissa's front door. We started filing out, but Adrian stayed back, waiting for me. When I got next to him, he put an arm around my shoulder. "So what's a pretty girl like you doing hanging out with us tonight? You must've had plenty of other offers on the table."

"Believe me, you have no idea. I'm something of a female Casanova around here." I told him, face serious. He gave me a confused look and I laughed. "Joking."

The smile that had lit up his face earlier returned. "Beautiful and a sense of humor. I like that."

He opened the passenger's side door of his dark green Jeep and I stepped inside, wondering why I had to sit in the front. I barely knew Adrian. Why did I have to sit with him? But as I looked to the back, I realized why. There were three seats in the backseat and two behind it, in the very back. Lissa and Christian were sitting together behind me and Eddie and Mia were in the very back. Oh.

Adrian got into the driver's side and pulled away from the curb. "So, tell me about these romantic adventures of yours."

[BREAK]

When we got to the club, we went straight to the bouncer in front instead of waiting in line. To my surprise, it was a woman. She looked about six feet tall and had well-defined muscles. Her hair was long and dark red, but the roots were graying. For the life of me, I couldn't tell how old she was. Adrian told her our names and we were let in with a sly glance from the woman.

The club was on fire. There was a huge dance floor with people dancing on every inch of it. I saw two bars, one for those who could drink and one for those who couldn't. Adrian told us not to worry, that he'd hook us up, but I wasn't so sure about that. There were some booths around the walls of the club, but there were hardly any people in them. Upstairs, I could see people with paint that glowed in the black lights they had up there.

"Whoa. This is crazy!" I murmured to Lissa, who nodded. We could barely hear anything over the music.

Adrian turned around to face us. "I'm going to go get us some shots. You guys can go dance or whatever, but I expect you to be at the table in the corner when I'm done. No one's getting out of this party."

We all automatically gravitated toward the table he'd gestured at. We had to go through part of the dance floor to get there and I grimaced as hot, sweaty bodies brushed against mine. I could feel the bass of the music in my chest, but I didn't care. I was going to let go tonight. I was going to get my fun.

"I don't think drinking is a good idea." Christian told us as we sat down.

I scoffed. "You don't think any fun is a good idea. Just let go!"

Everyone laughed but Christian rolled his eyes. Lissa and I began talking excitedly about getting on the dance floor as Mia and Eddie formed their own little bubble. I didn't think anyone could penetrate it if they'd wanted to. Before we knew it, Adrian was back.

"Alright," he said, holding shots with everything but his feet. "I already did my first one. You guys do one and then we'll do the second one together."

Everyone grabbed their two shots as Adrian set them down, except for Christian and Mia, who hesitated. Adrian raised an eyebrow at Christian, making him grab his shots just so that Adrian couldn't hang it over him. Mia quickly snatched her shots up after Christian did, not wanting to be left out.

I'd done my fair share of drinking before, but I'd never had shots, unless you count that time Lissa and I had gotten into her dad's vodka. We'd poured it into the bottom of regular glasses and took turns downing them. We hadn't felt anything after we drank them, to our dismay, but they'd kicked in as soon as we got up to go watch TV. We spent the rest of that day and the next in bed.

"On the count of three." I announced, picking up my first shot. Christian, Lissa, Eddie, and Mia followed suit. "One…two…three!"

I brought the shot up to my lips, tilting my head back as I did. I allowed the alcohol to go down my throat, burning as it did. I heard the tap of my shot hitting the table before anyone else's and shook my head as I took a breath. The burning intensified. "Oh my God." I said, loving the flavor but not the intensity. "What is that?"

Adrian looked at me and smiled. "They're called 'Flaming Cocaine' shots. Cool, huh?" He winked.

Mia coughed, grabbing her throat as she did. "This stuff is awful!"

Adrian and I were the only ones who laughed. Lissa was still blinking and shaking her head every now and then, probably wondering when it would stop burning. Christian and Eddie were looking at Mia, concerned, but she noticed and quickly recovered.

"Next one!" I called, doing a drumroll with my hands on the table. Everyone – including Adrian this time – grabbed their next shot, waiting for me to call it. I counted to three and we all drank the second shots.

Fifteen minutes later, we'd done five shots each and I was feeling tingly. I decided I wanted to dance and, without saying a word, grabbed Lissa's hand and dragged her to the dance floor. As we got there, a new song came on. Low by Flo Rida.

"I love this song!" I yelled to Lissa and she laughed before we began dancing.

As we rapped along with Flo Rida, we swayed together. Soon more girls had come to join us and we were all grinding around. They brought more guys with them. I couldn't go very low, like everyone else was during the chorus, because my dress was so short and my heels would kill me.

As the bridge came along, I felt hands grab my hips. I turned to see a really hot guy with bright blue eyes and blonde hair. If I hadn't been feeling so good from those shots, I probably would've shaken him off me, but I really didn't care right then. I turned around, his hands still on my hips, and we swayed together as the rest of the song played.

Soon Dirty Talk by Wynter Gordon came on. I automatically turned to Lissa, squealing. She, too, had turned to me, laughing. We'd listened to this song a million times when it came out and loved it.

"Can you believe they're playing this?!" Lissa laughed.

I shrugged, still dancing. "It is a college club."

We began singing the song as we sashayed back and forth, our bodies pressed together. Lissa and I were so close that it didn't feel weird dancing like this. Of course, it looked sexual to other people – which is why they were watching – but it didn't feel that way to us. I put my arms up as I sang the chorus, "I am no angel…"

Suddenly, Christian came out of nowhere, grabbing Lissa from behind. He had this ferocious look in his eyes, like he didn't want anyone else touching her. I shrugged, turning around…and coming face-to-face with Adrian. I squeaked as his hands went around my waist, bringing me close to him.

"I like this song," he told me with a wink as we began to dance. "It suits you."

I blushed. "Excuse me? You don't know anything about me."

He laughed, pulling me closer, which I didn't know was possible. "But I can imagine."

"Please. You could have any girl in this room if you wanted. Look at you."

"Was that a compliment?" He wriggled his eyebrows.

I rolled my eyes as the song began to fade out. "You wish." The song ended, but we didn't break apart. Instead, I realized we were pretty much wrapped in each other's arms. I looked up to tell Adrian that the song was over and he could let me go, but we wound up looking right into each other's eyes. Our proximity began making my heart race and, as I got lost in his beautiful green eyes, I had the urge to kiss him.

To my surprise, he let go of me with a smirk on his face. "I'm going to get us more shots."

I didn't think that was a good idea, but I let him go, trying to get my breathing to return to normal. What had I just been doing?!

Nothing, the voice that hated me snickered in my head. You were about to kiss a really hot guy who is almost the same age as you and isn't your counselor. There's nothing wrong with that.

Save it, I thought right back as a slow song began. I hadn't thought they played slow songs in clubs, but apparently they did. I went back to the table, where Eddie and Mia were getting up to dance. Lissa and Christian were still out there. I nodded to the two of them before sitting down and pulling off my shoes.

I sat there, rubbing my feet, as Adrian came back with an armload of shots. I got up to help him as he did. We sat down next to each other and watched everyone dance.

"Alright, young one, let's see how well you can handle your alcohol." he laughed, sliding a shot over to me.

I shook my head. "I'm not that much younger than you. Only by a couple of years."

He smirked. "Oh, then by all means, you go get us some shots." I scowled at him and he laughed. "C'mon, next shot."

I really didn't think it was a good idea to take another shot, the way I was feeling now, but I didn't want to let Adrian think I was a little girl who couldn't hold her liquor. I grabbed the shot he'd slid to me and downed it. As I did, I heard Woo Hoo by Kings of Leon come on.

I quickly ignored the burning in my throat – which was becoming easier and easier the more shots I took – and looked at Adrian. "I didn't know they played stuff by Kings of Leon in clubs. Well, other than Sex on Fire."

"They'll play anything you want them to. They only turn it off if no one's dancing to it, but that doesn't happen very often." Adrian explained.

I nodded and got up, forgetting my shoes as I once again went to the dance floor. I wasn't surprised to have Adrian follow me. He pulled me in his arms and began slowly swaying to the music. He stopped, surprised, when the chorus picked up and he caught the lyrics. A slow smile crept up on his lips as he leaned toward me.

"I see why you like this song…" he whispered in myear. A shiver ran through my body, but I barely paid it any mind. This song was dirty, so it was obvious what he meant.

We gravitated back toward each other when the second verse began, but broke apart again and began jumping – like everyone else – when the chorus picked up again. We danced until the song was over and What the Hell by Avril Lavigne came on. I couldn't believe how perfect it was right now.

I sang the lyrics while Adrian and I danced. I was drunk, but I wasn't really paying attention. Like the song said, "Don't get me wrong/ I just need some time to play". I danced around Adrian, singing like I was talking directly to him. A couple of times, he tried to wrap me back in his arms, but I wouldn't let him. We were now gaining the attention of several people around us.

La La La La La La La La Whoa, Whoa

I reached over and ran my hand along the side of Adrian's face, still dancing.

La La La La La La La La Whoa, Whoa

I walked up right in front of him, turning around and leaning on him.

You say that I'm messing with your head. Boy, I like messing in your bed.

I slowly lowered myself as far as I could go, my body pressed right up against his. My arms stayed up as I did, trailing down from being wrapped around his neck behind me.

Yeah, I am messing with your head.

I stood up and turned around, putting my arms on his shoulders.

When I'm messing with you in bed.

I leaned forward and whispered that part in his ear. I felt the shiver go down his body as I did, right before he turned his head and kissed me.

There was a loud applause as Adrian and I stood there kissing, but I wasn't paying attention to anything but the feeling of his lips on mine. He was so warm. His lips tasted like cinnamon and cigarettes, but, like the song said, what the hell?

Suddenly, a hand grabbed my arm and started pulling, breaking my and Adrian's kiss. I saw the shock on his face from me pulling away from him, but it turned into a smirk as he saw that Lissa was the one pulling me away.

As we got to the edge of the dance floor, she stopped and stood in front of me, letting me go as she did. "What do you think you're doing?!" she chastised.

I shrugged. "What? It's not like I'm cheating or anything."

Instantly, I knew I'd said the wrong thing. My mind automatically pulled Dimitri out of thin air and I gasped. Lissa looked at me pointedly, like she knew what I'd just remembered, but I wasn't going to let her ruin my fun.

"I'm not cheating. I told Dimitri what I wanted and am giving him some time to think about it. He hasn't even called me, Liss. What does that say?" I was kind of bringing myself down by talking about this. It had been the one thing I wanted to steer clear of tonight.

She looked at me hard, scrutinizing. "Fine," she finally said. "But don't come crying to me when you realize what you've done."

With that, our conversation was over and I returned to Adrian.

"What was that about?" he asked as I wrapped my arms back around him and began to dance.

"Nothing." I smiled up at him. "Nothing at all."

[BREAK]

I flopped down on Lissa's bed, a goofy smile on my face. "Tonight was so much fun!"

She pulled off her dress, grabbing a pair of red Tinkerbell pajamas as she did. "Maybe a little too much fun."

"I already explained this to you," I groaned.

"Yeah, yeah. You were glued to Adrian's face for half the night, though! Is it really so easy for you to forget Dimitri?"

I frowned, coming down from the high I'd been feeling all night. I felt fine right now, but I'd probably have a hangover in the morning. What Lissa didn't understand was that it was impossible for me to forget Dimitri. A lot of the times I'd been kissing Adrian, I'd been thinking of Dimitri, wishing it was him who had his hands wrapped around me.

Before I could tell her that, though, my phone went off. I'd turned it off while we were in the club, but the battery was still dying. It was on the charger after just being turned on when I came in Lissa's room a few minutes ago.

I got up and walked over to it, wondering who was calling me at two in the morning. When I saw the caller ID, my stomach did a flip. "Oh, God. No. I cannot deal with this right now." I said, hitting the volume button on the side and making my phone shut up.

"What?" Lissa asked, walking over to my phone. She gasped when she saw the caller ID and quickly picked up my phone. Before I could stop her – I'd been walking back to her bed, a couple feet away from her – she answered it. "Rose's phone." A moment went by. "Yeah, she's here and she's awake. Hear you go."

She held out the phone to me. I put up my hands, waving them to tell her I didn't want it, but she shoved it at me before going to her bathroom. I sighed. "Hello?"

"Uh, hey, Rose." Dimitri said. "What are you doing?"

I dodged the question. "Me? What are you doing? It's two in the morning."

There was a moment of silence. "I just got back home. I texted you thirty minutes ago, but you never replied. I want to see you."

"At two in the morning?" I sounded like a broken record, saying the same thing over again.

He chuckled. "I wasn't planning on it. Dropping by your parent's house in the middle of the night might raise suspicion."

I shook my head, again not realizing that the person over the phone couldn't see it. "I'm not at my parent's house. I'm at Lissa's. It's just us and her brother here, but he's asleep." I hadn't meant to mention that, but in my drunkenness, I'd let it slip.

There was another pause on the other side of the line. "Well, then, do you think you could sneak away for a minute or two?"

I paused, thinking. I had two choices: I could either meet him now and get his breaking up with me – for good – over while I had alcohol in my system to soften the blow, or I could wait until tomorrow when I'd be hopelessly hung over. I went for the first one. "Alright. Park down the road. I'll meet you in the backyard. You remember how to get here, right?"

After assuring me he knew where to go, we hung up. I filled Lissa in on what was going on and she gave me a look that said, See? Told you making out with Adrian was a bad idea…

I ignored her, going into the bathroom and brushing my teeth. I didn't want the smell of alcohol on my breath. When I was done, I told Lissa I'd be back and ran downstairs as quietly as I could, praying Mr. Dragomir wouldn't come home early. I doubted he would at this time of night, but you never knew.

I waited in the gazebo in Lissa's backyard. It was pretty; painted white with blue trim. There were seats all around it, so I sat down, hoping the spinning of the world I occasionally saw would go away for good.

I'd waited ten minutes before I saw Dimitri coming around the house. I thought about getting up, but then remembered how dizzy I felt when I stood. I waved to him to let him know where I was and he began walking toward me.

When he stepped into the gazebo, he froze. Like, literally. He'd been going up the steps when he caught sight of me and every muscle had stopped in mid-action. In my haste to get my teeth brushed and go downstairs, I'd forgotten about my dress, which I knew looked good on me. I was barefoot since I'd accidentally left my heels in Adrian's Jeep.

"You look…amazing." Dimitri said, looking at me like he wanted to rip the dress off right then and there.

I blushed profusely, glad that it was so dark out here that he couldn't see it. "Oh, um, thanks. I went out with Liss tonight."

He suddenly frowned. "Where did you go to in that?"

"Uh, we went to this club in Helena. It was no big deal."

"No big deal?!" Dimitri scoffed, sitting down next to me. He took my hand in his and I felt tingles go all throughout my body. A week without him had seemed like an eternity. "You do realize how much danger you put yourself in, right? You could've gotten hurt again."

I shrugged. "But I didn't. Look, I appreciate you being concerned for me, but I'm alright. Not even a scratch on me."

He let go of my hand and lifted it to trail along my left cheekbone, where my bruise was. It hadn't been noticeable to anyone else, but of course Dimitri would see it. "But there is this. I'll let it go this time, Roza, but please be careful."

"I will. I was tonight." Maybe not a little too careful. I had kissed Adrian. Don't think about that now! "So…you wanted to see me?"

"Yes," he breathed, inching nearer to my face. "I wanted to tell you that…I've made my decision." I looked into his face, but I couldn't read anything on it, mostly because it was too dark. My heart hammered in my chest and I felt like I was going to throw up. Oh, God, here it comes… "If you really want to be with me, well, I want to be with you, too."

I was so happy I could've done cartwheels…if it weren't for the still queasy feeling in my stomach. Why did I still feel like throwing up? I put a hand to my stomach and scrunched up my face, trying to get under control.

"Roza, are you okay?" Dimitri asked, cupping the side of my face in his palm.

I nodded. "Yeah, I-I…"

And that was when I threw up.

Another chapter done :) Again, sorry for the wait. Leave a review and let me know what you think!